Unit 5

DNA, RNA
Replication, Transcription,
Translation
What is DNA?
• Deoxyribonucleic acid
• made of subunits called
nucleotides
• Contains the genetic code
• Structure is a double helix.
 NUCLEOTIDES
- the subunits of DNA

Parts of a nucleotide:
Phosphate group
ribose
Nitrogen base
 DNA 4 Nitrogen Bases
Adenine (A) Thymine (T)

Guanine (G) Cytosine (C)

Thymine and Cytosine are

PYRIMIDINES
(one-ring base)

Adenine and Guanine are PURINES

(two-ring bases)
 •BASE PAIRING RULES (Chargaff’s Rules)
•A binds with T
•G binds with C
• There are 3 hydrogen bonds holding G and C together
• There are 2 hydrogen bonds holding A and T together.
 DNA STRUCTURE: DOUBLE HELIX
•DNA is like a twisted ladder
• Rails of the ladder: alternating
deoxyribose and phosphate.
•Rungs of the ladder: base pairs
(cytosine–guanine or thymine–
adenine)
3-D Animation of DNA

DNA Video
Stop & Review
1. What is the smallest subunit of DNA?
2. List 3 parts to #1?
3. What are the side chains of DNA made of?
4. What are the “rungs” of DNA made of?
5. What are the base pairing rules of DNA?
6. Describe the structure of DNA in 2 words.
ANSWERS

1.Nucleotide
2.Sugar, phosphate and a nitrogen base
3.Sugar and phosphate
4.Nitrogen base
5.A-T, C-G
6.Double Helix
Comparing eukaryote & prokaryote DNA

PROKARYOTE EUKARYOTE

Circular

Linear
How are genes, chromosomes and DNA
related?
Genes (trait): portions
of DNA that code for
proteins.

DNA: Contains the

genetic code, tightly
packed into
chromosomes
How are genes, chromosomes and DNA
related?
Think of
chromosomes as
socks and genes as
stripes on the
socks.
Place in order from smallest to largest.
1. Chromosomes
2. Genes
3. DNA

Smallest to Largest:
Genes -> DNA -> Chromosomes
 There are THREE main differences between DNA & RNA

DNA RNA
NAME Deoxyribonucleic acid Ribonucleic acid

SUGAR Deoxyribose ribose

NO. OF STRANDS double single

NITROGEN BASES A,T,G,C A,U,G,C (U = Uracil)

NITROGEN BASE PAIRS A – T A–U
G–C G-C
TRANSPORT IN AND Stays in nucleus Goes in and out of
OUT OF NUCLEUS nucleus
CONTAINS A Yes yes
CHEMICAL MESSAGE
OR CODE
Semi-conservative replication
Part 2
•Duplication of DNA: DNA copies itself!
•Happens during the S-phase of
Interphase, before cell division.
 “Semi-Conservative” Replication
• Replication results in 2 new DNA molecules
• “SEMI-CONSERVATIVE”:
Each “new” DNA molecule will contain an “original” DNA
strand and a “new” DNA strand, made of added free
nucleotides.

18
 The Process of Replication
STEP 1:
•Enzyme HELICASE unwinds DNA at “replication
fork” by breaking hydrogen bonds between two
complimentary strands of DNA
• It “unzips” the helix
• “ ANTI-PARALLEL”:
DNA strands run
in opposite directions: ”
3’to 5’ and 5’to 3’.

19
STEP 2:
RNA primase adds a RNA primer to free 3’ end
•The direction of synthesis is from 5’ to 3’.

Base Pairing Animation 20

STEP 3:
•DNA Polymerase attaches to Primer and
adds new nucleotides to 3’ end of a
growing DNA chain, following base-pair
rules:
Adenine - Thymine
Guanine – Cytosine

Forms the LEADING STRAND, helicase

Made continuously from primer. polymerase

Leading strand

primer
3”
• Lagging Strand (5’ to 3’): made discontinuously on opposite
DNA strand, near replication fork.
• DNA Polymerase can only add new nucleotides to a 3’
end!
• Contains Okazaki fragments: “pieces of DNA”, later
mended by enzyme LIGASE to form new DNA strand
5” 3”

helicase
Replication animation

primer

primer
Leading
3” strand 5”
Lagging
5” strand 3”
polymerase
Replication fork
Protein synthesis
 Warm-Up Quiz: DNA 101
1. DNA is a double stranded sequence of ___________ (smallest unit
of DNA).
2. DNA is a code of instructions for building ___________ (molecule).
3. DNA is stored in the _________ (control center of the cell).
4. The DNA code must be transmitted to the ___________ where
proteins are built. Today we’ll see how this happens.
Essential Questions
7. What is the primary function of DNA?
8. How do RNA and DNA compare?
9. What are the three main types of RNA?
What are their roles?
10. How do the base-pairing rules for RNA
compare to the rules for DNA?
11. Describe the roles of DNA and RNA in the
overall process of protein synthesis.
The role of DNA is to store and transmit genetic
information

DNA
RNA
PROTEINS
PHENOTYPE
YOU
 What is RNA??

• RNA, like DNA, is made up of

nucleotides
• However, there are 3
differences between DNA
and RNA:
1. RNA has ribose instead
of deoxyribose
2. RNA has uracil instead
of thymine
3. RNA is single-stranded
instead of double-
stranded
 How do DNA & RNA compare?
DNA RNA
Deoxyribose sugar & Ribose sugar & phosphate
phosphate “backbone” “backbone”
N-bases: A, C, G, T URACIL replaces thymine
Double helix Single-stranded, globular,
hairpin (huh? Hairpin???)
Warm-up
What’s the difference
between RNA and DNA?
Types of RNA

Messenger
RNA (mRNA)
The original DNA code
is transcribed then
carried from the
nucleus to the
ribosome.
mRNA is written in the
form of codons.
Types of RNA
Transfer RNA
(tRNA)
The anticodon that
matches the codon
found on mRNA.
It transfers an amino
acid in order to
assemble a protein
chain.
Types of RNA

RibosomalR
NA (rRNA)
RNA & proteins
that make up
ribosomes
where proteins
are made.
Base Pairing in DNA vs. RNA

DNA RNA

A-T A - Uracil
C-G C-G
Check your understanding…
Decide with your partner whether the following
describes DNA or RNA or Both:

6. Involves Uracil
1. Master Plan 7. Single-stranded
2. Blueprint copy 8. Double-stranded
3. Stays in nucleus 9. Involves codons
4. Goes to ribosome 10. Polymerase
5. Involves Thymine
PROTEIN SYNTHESIS

Step 1 Transcription
Step 2 Translation
Step 1: TRANSCRIPTION
 DNA is transcribed to create a strand of
nucleic acid called RNA (ribonucleic acid)
 The RNA codes are “read” 3 nucleotides
at a time called a codon
 Occurs in the nucleus
Why? Because mRNA can leave the nucleus
whereas DNA cannot.
TRANSCRIPTION
1. Enzymes unzip helix
2. RNA polymerase assembles mRNA
nucleotides but base pairing rules
changes slightly
a. Thymine in DNA pairs with Adenine
b. Adenine in DNA pairs with Uracil
c. Cytosine still pairs with Guanine
 Step 1:
T-- A U --A

Write the complementary nucleotide sequence.

Helicase
A-- T A --T

Write the complementary codon sequence.

enzyme
C-- G “unzips”
double helix
C --G
A-- T A --T
Copy the following DNA sequence.

by weakening
A-- T H-bonds
A --T
A-- T Slide  A --T
C-- G C --G
T-- A Step 2: RNA
polymerase U --A
T-- A enzyme forms U --A
T-- A complementary
U --A
mRNA strand
G-- C G --C
A-- T A --T
DNA mRNA
Step 2: TRANSLATION
• The language of DNA is translated
into the language of amino acids
• Occurs in the cytoplasm on a
ribosome
TRANSLATION
1. The mRNA travels to the ribosome where
each codon is read
2. The codon of mRNA matches an anticodon
on tRNA
3. When the codon and anticodon match the
amino acid being carried by the tRNA is
transferred to a growing protein chain.
Let’s use your foldable from before.
A U
T A
G C
T A
 Open the foldable
T A and translate the
T A mRNA code into the
correct amino acid
G C sequence.
A U
A U
A U
C G
T A
DNA mRNA
The translation…
A U
T A Tyrosine
G C
T A
T A Lysine
T A
G C
A U Leucine
A U
A U
C G STOP
T A
DNA mRNA
Protein Synthesis Animation

http://highered.mcgraw-
hill.com/olcweb/cgi/pluginpop.cgi?it=swf::535::535::/sites/dl/free/00724373
16/120077/micro06.swf::ProteinSynthesis
 YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND THIS!!!

DNA codes for RNA, which guides the

synthesis of proteins.
DNA  RNA  Protein
1.DNA is unzipped
2. RNA polymerase uses DNA as a template for making
mRNA (Uracil is incorporated instead of thymine)
3.mRNA moves out of nucleus to ribosome
4.tRNA carries amino acids to ribosome where they are
assembled into a peptide chain
5.Upon reading a STOP codon, the complete protein chain is
released
 Now consider this…
1. On a sheet of paper, write the word CATS.
2. Try rearranging the letters to form as many 3-
letter words as you can.
3. Write each word on your paper, and then add a
definition for each word.
4. Did any of the codes you formed have the same
meaning?
The DNA Alphabet

• Like CATS, there are only 4

nitrogen bases in the DNA
alphabet.
• Like the CATS activity, DNA
“words” are only 3-letters. These
triplet base sequences are called
codons.
 BRAIN TEASER
How many codons can be made using the four
letters of the four different bases?
Hint:
A codon is made up of 3 nucleotides.
So there are 3 spots and a possibility of 4 bases in
each.
4 bases x 4 bases x 4 bases
= 64 possible codon combinations.
Since the nitrogen base is the only unit to change, the
sequence of bases makes up the code.
It is a series of single repeating units (sounds or symbols) that make up a
message. The repeating units are the nucleotides of the DNA molecule.
The message is the final protein that is produced. Proteins can be
structural, enzymatic, hormones, etc.